• Perennials. Early spring, when the soil is still
cool and nurseries are full of choices, is a great time to buy and
plant perennials.
Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', new from Proven Winners, is worth
searching for. It looks like a short baby's breath and never stops
blooming. Combine it with white-flowered
Salvia x
sylvestris 'Snow Queen' (another great performer) for a
cool-looking, long-lasting, trouble-free display. One source for
both plants is Cottage Nursery Gardens
(714/890-5511) in Westminster.

• Tomatoes. There's still time to start tomatoes from
seed (wait until April to plant them in the ground, as they need
heat to thrive). Search catalogs such as Tomato
Growers Supply Company(888/478-7333) for unusual varieties such as 'Prairie Fire',
'Sun Sugar', and 'Yellow Canary' ― worth trying for their
names alone.

• Vegetables. Sow seeds for all-season crops such as
beets, carrots, radishes, Swiss chard, and turnips. Or switch to
summer crops and sow seeds of corn or green beans. Coastal
gardeners can also plant cucumbers and squash. Wait until April to
plant melons, as they need more heat; seedlings of unusual
varieties, including 'Charentais', are available by mail from the
Natural Gardening
Company(707/766-9303).

MAINTENANCE

• Fertilize. Almost everything in your garden needs a
boost of nitrogen now. Feed fruit and ornamental trees,
groundcovers, shrubs, perennials, and annuals that have been in the
ground at least six weeks. Also feed turfgrass and container
plants. Feed camellias after bloom, using cottonseed meal or an
acidic commercial fertilizer.

• Prune ornamentals. Before their spring growth surge,
prune boxwood, pittosporum, and other evergreen hedges. Prune
spring-flowering trees such as cherry and plum after they bloom.
Wait to prune frost damage from bougainvillea, Natal plum, or other
subtropicals until you see new growth.